Earthquake shelters to receive new equipment

BEIJING - Hundreds of extra emergency shelters are to be set up in the city to help residents cope with a major earthquake, authorities announced on Thursday.

The capital already has 33 disaster collection points in 14 districts and two counties, each fitted with electricity generators, water pumps and other equipment. However, the quality of the equipment has come under much criticism, recently from an investigation by the Standing Committee of the Beijing People's Congress.

"Some shelters lack the right equipment, while the facilities at others are broken," Liu Xiaochen, deputy director of the committee, said in a statement on its official website. He added that few residents even know how to get to the shelters, let alone what to do when they arrive following a disaster.